Analysis system and method for testing a sample

Abstract

A method for testing a biological sample wherein the sample is divided into a plurality of sample portions, is fed to a sensor arrangement in a first conveying direction and is carried away in a second conveying direction which is opposite to the first conveying direction, and/or a sensor cover is lowered onto a sensor apparatus multiple times. Furthermore, a cartridge for testing a biological sample wherein different fluidic circuits can be formed by actuating valves in the cartridge, and the sample or another fluid can be conveyed in the fluidic circuits by means of a pump apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A method for testing a sample,
 receiving a sample in a cartridge,   conveying the sample through a fluid system comprised of a plurality of channels of the cartridge,   conveying the sample to a sensor arrangement of the cartridge to detect analytes of the sample,   wherein the sample is divided into a plurality of sample portions, the sample portions each being individually conveyed in succession to a sensor compartment of a common sensor arrangement.   
     
     
         32 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the sensor arrangement is pretreated for detecting the analytes, a sensor cover of the sensor arrangement being at least temporarily lowered onto a sensor apparatus of the sensor arrangement both for pretreatment and for detection. 
     
     
         33 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the sample is conveyed to the sensor arrangement in a first conveying direction and then carried away from the sensor arrangement in a second conveying direction which is opposite to the first conveying direction. 
     
     
         34 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the sample portions are fed to different reaction cavities. 
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the analytes of the sample portions are amplified by means of amplification reactions in the different reaction cavities. 
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 35 , wherein the sample portions are amplified in parallel or independently of one another. 
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the analytes or sample portions are actively temperature-controlled between the reaction cavities and the sensor arrangement. 
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the analytes of the sample portions are bonded to capture molecules of the sensor arrangement and wherein the bonded analytes are detected by means of the sensor arrangement. 
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 38 , wherein the bonded analytes are at least one of electrochemically detected or detected by redox cycling. 
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the sample portions are fed to the sensor arrangement in a first conveying direction to bond the analytes of the sample portions to corresponding capture molecules. 
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein after the analytes have bonded to the corresponding capture molecules, the sample portions are carried away from the sensor arrangement in a second conveying direction which is opposite to the first conveying direction, to collect the sample portions in a collection cavity. 
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the sample or sample portions and a pretreatment fluid are fed to the sensor arrangement from different sides. 
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein at least one of the sample portions or a fluid for pretreatment is conveyed from the sensor arrangement to a common collection cavity of the cartridge. 
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein after the analytes have bonded to the corresponding capture molecules, the sensor arrangement is at least one of pretreated or flushed with a fluid for the detection. 
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 44 , wherein the sensor arrangement is at least one of flushed with a wash buffer, loaded with detector molecules or a substrate used for detecting the bonded analytes. 
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the sensor arrangement is flushed with the wash buffer multiple times. 
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein a sensor cover is pneumatically lowered onto the sensor apparatus multiple times during a plurality of method steps. 
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein a sensor cover is lowered onto the sensor apparatus for at least one flushing of sensor fields of the sensor apparatus or to remove or dissipate air bubbles from the sensor apparatus. 
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein a sensor cover is lowered onto the sensor apparatus to at least one of seal or fluidically separate sensor fields of the sensor apparatus from one another or to reduce the diffusion paths of electrochemically active molecules in sensor fields. 
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein bonded analytes of the sample portions are identified, detected or determined in a single detection process. 
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein the cartridge containing the sample is received at least in part by an analysis device. 
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein the analysis device is at least one of pneumatically, thermally or electrically connected to the cartridge. 
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 31 , wherein nucleic-acid sequences or proteins are detected as analytes of the sample portions. 
     
     
         54 . A cartridge for testing a sample, comprising:
 a fluid system having a plurality of channels and cavities,   a pump apparatus for conveying at least one of a sample or a fluid, and   a plurality of valves for controlling the flow of the at least one of the sample or fluid through the fluid system,   wherein the valves are actuatable for forming different fluidic circuits in the fluid system,   wherein the pump apparatus is integrated in all the circuits for conveying the at least one of the sample or the fluid,   wherein the cartridge comprises a receiving cavity for receiving the sample and a mixing cavity for mixing the sample with a reagent, the receiving cavity, the mixing cavity and the pump apparatus being interconnectable in a first fluidic circuit such that the sample can be conveyed from the receiving cavity into the mixing cavity by means of the pump apparatus, and   wherein the mixing cavity and the pump apparatus are interconnectable in a second fluidic circuit such that a gas can be drawn out of the mixing cavity at a top of the cartridge by means of the pump apparatus and can be conveyed into the mixing cavity at a bottom of the cartridge by means of the pump apparatus to mix the sample with a reagent.   
     
     
         55 . The cartridge according to  claim 54 , wherein the cartridge comprises a sensor arrangement for electrochemically detecting analytes of the sample. 
     
     
         56 . The cartridge according to  claim 54 , wherein one of the cavities is a collection cavity, both the collection cavity and pump apparatus and at least one other of the cavities being interconnectable in a fluidic circuit in order to convey a fluid out of the other of the cavities. 
     
     
         57 . The cartridge according to  claim 56 , wherein a plurality of the cavities are storage cavities, the storage cavities each containing a reagent or a wash buffer, the collection cavity, the pump apparatus and the sensor arrangement together with one of the storage cavities being interconnectable in a fluidic circuit in order to feed the fluid to the sensor arrangement from the respective storage cavities. 
     
     
         58 . The cartridge according to  claim 56 , wherein the collection cavity, the pump apparatus and the sensor arrangement are interconnectable in a fluidic circuit to feed a fluid to the sensor arrangement from the collection cavity or a fluid from the sensor arrangement. 
     
     
         59 . The cartridge according to  claim 54 , wherein in a delivery state of the cartridge at least one reagent is in the mixing cavity to pretreat the sample. 
     
     
         60 . The cartridge according to  claim 54 , wherein at least one of the cartridge or the fluid system is formed as a fluidically closed system.